My lords, ladies and £80,000 please – Blair to earn fortune with speeches

Tony Blair will be able to command fees of up to £80,000 a time now he’s launched himself on the celebrity speaking circuit, say industry insiders. The former prime minister has signed up with one of America’s leading agencies, the Washington Speakers Bureau.

You might think it entirely appropriate that Tony will become the political equivalent of an After Eight mint: he famously looked quite attractive at first glance but when the wrapping came off there wasn’t as much substance as expected. But at least he’ll be in familiar company as he waits at the speakers’ cab rank. The agency also represents Sir John Major.

Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York and now a Republican presidential contender, earned £5.7m with speeches in 16 months. Such fees will make a nice dent in the Blairs’ mortgage on their £3.65m home in Connaught Square, but Tony has told friends he will limit his utterings as he doesn’t want to appear greedy.

Meanwhile, Bill Clinton has revealed Blair asked his advice about life after high office – and then ignored it. “I told him he ought to take about six months off,” said Clinton, “and he jumped right into this Middle East thing.”

Boris spoils Livingstone's bid to win back the Jewish vote

Ken Livingstone, currently the man least likely to be invited to a bar mitzvah, is trying to kiss and make up with London’s Jewish community.

Relations have been strained since the mayor compared a Jewish reporter to a concentration camp guard, and apparently voiced his support for an antiIsraeli Muslim cleric. Now Livingstone has not only given £16,000 of ratepayers’ cash to fund a Jewish festival in Trafalgar Square next weekend, but appears in a full-page advert in The Jewish Chronicle to wish everybody a happy Rosh Hashanah.

Unfortunately, the Chronicle spoils the effect by running a big interview in the same issue with Tory rival Boris Johnson, flourishing a Jewish great-grandfather.

* * * * *

What could this mean for the chances of a snap election? US political consultant Bob Shrum has been given a desk at the Cabinet Office. He has worked for Democrats in eight presidential campaigns. Just one problem for Gordon Brown – not one of them made it to the White House.

Translated, Galloway’s favourite word is crawler

Just when you thought George Galloway couldn’t possibly be any more irritating, he goes that extra mile and surprises us all. To mark International Literacy Day, which was yesterday, public figures were asked to name their favourite word. Tory MP Boris Johnson chose “carminative”, which describes the relieving of flatulence. But Respect MP Galloway chose “indefatigability” – a reminder of the occasion he sucked up to Saddam Hussein with the words: “Sir, I salute your courage, your strength, your indefatigability.” Or perhaps he was just too modest to name his more obvious favourite word: “George”.

Let’s get this clear. First Tony Blair was the new Margaret Thatcher, but now it’s Gordon Brown. Meanwhile, David Cameron has been hailed as the heir to Blair, but as Blair is also heir to Thatcher that must mean Cameron can stake a reasonable claim as heir to Thatcher’s heir – the political equivalent of a grandson. Tell me, is anybody else finding it hard to keep up?

* * * * *

Hapless Hattie Harman, the Commons leader, appears to have been rather too enthusiastic rushing round the country garnering votes for her successful run at the Labour deputy leadership.

During the spring campaign, it turns out, Harman notched up a speeding ticket, her second as a minister. She has sneaked her guilty plea off by post, no doubt to avoid a court appearance that would be rather embarrassing for a former solicitor-general.

* * * * *

What has come over John Redwood? The former Tory cabinet minister, famed for his steely intellect and robotic manner, has quite unexpectedly developed the early symptoms of a sense of humour. He has strongly defended the comedian arrested last week for breaching an Australian security cordon while dressed as Osama Bin Laden. Could this change mark a breakthrough for science fiction: the first case of an alien being taken over by a human being?

* * * * *

As Labour tries to ram home the impression that David Cameron’s Conservatives are a bunch of dilettante Old Etonians, culture secretary James Purnell seems to have strayed off message. He and a chum have been in Scotland for a spot of late summer golf, playing at Carnoustie and even the Royal and Ancient at St Andrews. Luckily for Purnell, he has an excuse that will save him from the wrath of his party’s class warriors. “He plays very badly,” says a source at the 19th.

Times Recommends

• The ghost of Robin Cook haunts Chilcot’s feast
• The truth shouldn’t need oaths
• Violence: let’s separate the men from the boys